Men's Tennis

Juniors Darcy Demers and Kirill Kasyanov Named NEC Tennis Players of the Week

Oct 20, 2009

Oct. 20, 2009

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (October 20, 2009) - Sacred Heart juniors Darcy Demers (Norton, MA) and Kirill Kasyanov (Yonkers, NY) were named the Northeast Conference Tennis Players of the Week announced by the league on Tuesday.

Demers won a pair of singles matches last week and was deprived of an opportunity for two more victories by inclement weather. The Sacred Heart junior advanced to the title match of the New England Championships Second Flight singles draw, but Mother Nature did not allow her to play for the crown. Demers opened the rain-shortened tournament by dominating Hartford's Haley Gileau, 8-0, in the quarterfinal round. She then prevailed over Fairfield's Kristen Liu, 8-4. Teaming with Julianne Kasinow, Demers also made it through to the First Flight doubles final, which was also cancelled due to weather. Demers was on the cusp of defeating UConn's Emily Herb in a mid-week non-conference dual match until darkness stopped play. The third-year Pioneer led 6-4, 5-2, over the UConn opponent who defeated Demers in straight sets earlier this fall.

Kasyanov advanced into the ITA Regional Championship Round of 64 on his way to securing a second consecutive NEC Player of the Week award. A week after capturing the Quinnipiac Invitational Flight A singles crown, Kasyanov posted a first round victory in the main singles draw of the ITA Regional hosted by Dartmouth in Hanover, NH. The third-year Pioneer downed Saint Bonaventure's Diego Valdenegro, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, in three sets. The reigning NEC Player of the Week saw his run end at the hands of No. 6 seed Thomas Nolan in the Round of 64. Kasyanov fell to his Boston College counterpart, 6-3, 6-2.

The SHU men's team is back in action on Wednesday afternoon taking on the UConn Huskies in dual match action. Pioneer women wrap up the fall portion of their season this weekend at the ITA Regional Championships at Yale University.